You’ve heard it: Eat your vegetables.

But does eating more vegetables, fruits, and grains, really yield greater health benefits? Put another way, is it worth the effort?

Both observational and interventional studies have shown that if you want to live longer, and enjoy extraordinarily better health, it pays to graze on the green stuff.

Just as important: Reduce the amount of meat and animal protein products in your daily diet.

Relationship between Daily Diet and Disease

The China Study  is the world’s most comprehensive study of the relationship between diet, nutrition and disease, including heart disease, Type II diabetes and cancer.

The study, by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and associates, revealed more than 8,000 significant associations between diet, lifestyle and disease.

Snap summary: Nutrition, specifically a plant-based, whole foods diet, is amazing medicine.

And it’s way more effective at disease prevention and reversal than taking vitamins, drugs or nutritional supplements.

Dr. Campbell, who now runs the Center for Nutrition Studies, an institute that offers advice and support for plant-based diet devotees, has a clear message: Practice plant-based nutrition and you’ll enjoy a life less burdened by chronic disease.

Moreover, you’ll avoid painful last ditch “curative” interventions such as surgeries and pharmaceuticals.

Plant-Based Diet: 5 Real Benefits

Vegetarians live longer. And they suffer fewer disabling diseases.

Those who follow a primarily plant-based diet are also up to twice as likely not to develop Type II diabetes; enjoy a much lower risk of heart disease (Dr. Dean Ornish); experience significantly fewer cancers (Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine); and enjoy lower body weight, which helps with joint health and general well-being as one ages.

How to Become a Vegan: Go Flexitarian      

Americans are raised with meat as the cornerstone of every meal. Eliminating meat and/or animal products is a radical change. Begin with baby steps. Don’t try going vegetarian overnight (both your mind and your digestive track need time to adjust to any new diet.)

Be flexible. Go “flexitarian.” Your ultimate goal is to consume no more than 10% of your calories in the form of animal protein daily.

Build a new way of eating by steadily eliminating “bad” foods while simultaneously increasing the “medicinal” ones.

Work daily to improve your dietary intake. Every little bit (and bite!) helps.

Eat Less of These: The Evil Three

1. Meat: Especially red meat. Red meat releases carcinogens when cooked. Avoid hot dogs and deli or processed lunch meats that are cured with nitrates, a known digestive carcinogen.. (Uncured meats are increasingly available in this food group.)

Scared of walking away from meat? Try Meatless Monday. During WWI, the government encouraged Americans to deal with food rationing by preparing meatless meals on Mondays.

The Meatless Monday movement is back, but with a hip new health mission. Visit this campaign online for peer support and recipes for mouth-watery meat substitute meals.

2. Refined Carbs: doughnuts, pizza, pastries, potato chips, and so on. Don’t be fooled by labels that say “whole grain.” Study the ingredients. Dr. Michael Greger, author of How Not to Die, a plant-based eating plan, recommends seeking out breads and cereals with a high fiber to carbohydrate ratio (the five-to-one rule). For every 5 grams of carbs there should be 1 or more grams of fiber.

If you love chips, look for a sweet potato chip or an ancient grain chip. Or pop some corn. Eat nuts. These snacks are all higher in fiber than potato chips. They will also help satisfy your psychological urge to crunch.

3. Dairy Products: Including milk, cheese and milk-based yogurts (almond and soy yogurts are OK). Casein, a main ingredient in dairy/milk is thought to be a cancer-trigger agent by some researchers. The jury is still out on which cancers may or may not be influenced by high dairy intake.

Eat More of These: The Good Health Hit Parade

1. Cruciferous Vegetables: Cabbage, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower, all have active ingredients called indoles. These support liver detoxification and help reduce cancer occurrence and recurrence.

2. Dark Berries/Purple Fruits: These are high in antioxidants, ellagic acids and proanthocyanidines, more commonly known as flavonoids. Flavonoids act as antioxidants.

3. Legumes/Beans (except soy beans); are high in protease inhibitors (such as inositol hexaphosphate), anti-angiogenic compounds and substances which promote methylation (lignans).

4. Greens/Colorful Veggies; Contain carotenoids and bioflavonoids, which are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying.

Plants: Nature’s Pharmacy

The science is unequivocal. Eating more veggies, fruits and whole grains leads not only to a longer life but to a much healthier one.

Daily nutritional intake is the best preventive medicine.

Mom was right: Eating your vegetables will keep the doctor away, and the drug companies at bay.